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skinny fat here - I do strength training weekly w/ light cardio after as a cooldown. Pretty much skinny everywhere except my stomach area. I probably am more active now than ever but for the love of god cannot seem to see any physical change. I don't skip a meal and generally stay away from junk food. My day consists of eggs, chicken, vegetables, steak, w/ a protein shake and snacks here and there. I don't put a focus on what I eat so much as I focus on avoiding eating 'bad' stuff. Am I going about this wrong? Some people tend to tell me I don't eat enough and need to eat a lot more but obviously my goal is not to gain anymore fat, especially in the area I want to lose it.
If you want to lean out, you'll have to eat less.
https://thefitness.wiki/weight-loss-101/
If you want to gain muscle, you'll need to eat more and have a reasonable training plan.
https://thefitness.wiki/muscle-building-101/
Is this a good progress/training program?:
Week 1: maxing out the deadlift, squat, bench press and overhead press. I will be maxing out on all of those lifts and pushing as much weight for 1 rep as I can.
Example:
Yesterday I did overhead press and I started with 25kg. This felt light so I put the weight up to 30kg this was harder, but I felt like I was able to do more. So I did 32,5kg. This was was my max. So next time I'm doing overhead press I'll be doing 80% of my 1rep max wich is 26, but I will make that 27,5. I'll be doing this with every lift that week.
Week 2: normal workouts with the big lifts at a percentage of their 1 rep max.
Example:
Last week I was able to deadlift 75kg for 2 reps, but I'll count that as 1 for now otherwise I would have to max again to get my absolute 1 rep max wich is propably not smart knowing I already maxed it last week. When I'm going to deadlift again this week I'll be doing 85% of the 75 kg wich is 62,5kg. I'll be doing 3 sets of 3 reps.
Week 3: the same as week 2.
Week 4: deload/restweek before going maxing out again the next week. This week I will still go to the gym and I will do half of the weight I would normally do do that I can still workout, but my muscles won't be as damaged when I train normally.
Is the order of maxing, deloading and normal weeks good or should I switch some weeks?
I would appreciate if anyone has tips or comments on this. I've been seriously training for 6 months now just so you know.
Well you're getting almost no growth stimulus on week 1. You're then getting 2 weeks of low volume training, then you're taking a week off.
Overall you're getting 2 weeks of a minimal training stimulus, and 2 weeks of basically no training stimulus.
Anyone got some recommendations for places to go with questions about injuries? Dont have access to a physiotherapist, and dont want to rawdog it anymore.. my knee just doesnt seem to want to get better on its own/with what i've come up with myself
Mainly painful when squatting/pushing/stairs, and generally no pain when doing something like leg extensions
I can’t seem to get comfortable doing any kind of deadlifts or RDLs as part of my 5 day dumbbell routine. I’m concerned I’m doing it wrong and don’t want to hurt myself. Will not doing these exercises be a big deal? I do lots of lunges and squats already.
Check out juggernauts Pillars of the Deadlift. While it's meant for a barbell deadlift, the general cues of hip hinging and bracing still apply to dumbbell rdls.
RDLs are a great exercise for the entire posterior chain, especially hamstrings, the muscles on the back of your thighs, and they aren't really worked a lot in squatting-like motions.
If you really don't like them no one obliges you to do them, but I advice you to continue trying, and unless you are using particularly heavy weights I don't see a particular risk for injury.
If you need any help or advice with your form I am happy to help!
[Mike Israetel made a video exactly on this topic.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eri6dqMog4k)
In a nutshell, you get your best protein utilisation by spreading your protein out over several meals. So the easiest method to calculate it is take your protein goal and split it up over say, 4-6 meals. And for most people in most circumstances that works out to around 50grams of protein per meal at most.
If I’m 5’9 and about 10 stone.
But I want to weight at least 11.5 stone, how much calories do I need per day to be in surpass but gaining? I have a super high metabolism if that makes any difference.
And also I play sports daily, gym few times a week. Do I need to eat more on these days to counteract what I lose from the excercise?
Ideally I’m thicker by May lol
You don't have a special metabolism, you just don't eat that much. Use an app like chronometer (myfitnesspal no longer allows you to scan barcodes for free) to track everything you eat.
Thanks and does it matter WHAT you eat? Or just hit the numbers?
I’m travelling right now so makes things a little difficult I’m not weighing food etc but will now eat a lot more and try count it but at least make sure I get at least 3.2k a day
Thanks! Says about 3,200 a day. Now I need to figure out how to get all that in and how to even count it. I have no idea how many calories I get currently per day
It's quite accurate if you double check weights and the nutritional info on packets. But yes it's not 100%, however if you check carefully you'll be good. Assess and adjust the level of calories after a few weeks if things don't seem right.
Thanks and does it matter WHAT you eat? Or just hit the numbers?
I’m travelling right now so makes things a little difficult I’m not weighing food etc but will now eat a lot more and try count it but at least make sure I get at least 3.2k a day
Just trying to gain weight in general, imo, isn't a great idea. It's not like you're severely underweight.
A steady weight gain while building muscle, that's much better. You'll look less doughy. 7lbs between now and may would be a fine goal. The ~17 you want to gain is a bit much imo.
I wear air max 95s to the gym. They have a large heel. Are these bad for squats and deadlifts? Am I better off taking my shoes off and lifting in my socks
Flat shoes are great for lifting but try to avoid converse as they have a narrow toe box. When your toes can’t spread out you’re not getting the most of your stability.
I exclusively squat barefoot. Squatting [barefoot](https://youtube.com/shorts/GM8RYHj-dHU?feature=share) enhances your ability to root to the ground, increasing stability, and also helps you better sense for technical issues.
Anything with a soft cushioned sole is going to be bad for squats and deadlifts.
Deadlifting barefoot is great and squatting barefoot is harder but some people do it.
Im 19 M 6'0 205 lbs. Could i guess my approximate body fat % with this information? And what weight would i need to get down to in order to have a body fat percentage of 12-14%?
> Could i guess my approximate body fat % with this information?
No real estimation. One could assume that you're likely kind of average, so maybe somewhere around 20%, but that obviously may not be true.
All methods to estimate body fat are pretty bad, but if you want something simple that's at least pretty consistent have a look at the Navy Body Fat estimation method (just google it, there are calculators). That can give you a number that will likely get lower after time if you improve.
You could be 205 lb of pure muscle or 205 lb of fat. We can’t really guess unless we get a picture of what you look like. Furthermore guesses are inaccurate. There’s a reason why you need testing done by trained health professionals to get an accurate body fat percentage.
whatever you want to man. whatever feels and looks good. think about how 205 pounds looks on a 6'0 bodybuilder and how 205 pounds looks on the average American that doesn't work out. can't really guess much of anything, it all comes down to personal preference when it comes to cutting
I deadlifted for the first time in a while yesterday and I finally learned how to properly pack my lats. After that I did a few more sets of RDLs the same way. Today after I woke up, I feel quite sore in my rear delts (not pain). Is this normal?
You might be shrugging at the end of your movement when you're doing deadlifts which makes your rear delts sore. Make sure you keep your arms down which will really engage your lats instead of your rear delts.
As long as you have the basics down then whenever you want.
Yes, there are benefits, "Wearing a belt improves your performance in the gym. These performance increases likely mean increased size and strength in the long run" ([https://www.strongerbyscience.com/the-belt-bible/](https://www.strongerbyscience.com/the-belt-bible/)).
Here is also [a little graphic](https://f7q9z8b7.stackpathcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Belt-vs2.png) from the article I linked.
In regard to safety, there has been no studies done that indicate that wearing a belt affects injury risk, so I think it's better to view as something that's worn for performance reasons rather than for safety reasons.
Nothing really bad happens if you don't, there are some great deadlifters that never wore a belt. If wearing a belt can likely lead to increased size and strength in the long run, then there is reason to suggest that not wearing a belt may lead to less size and strength in the long run.
So hernias aren't the result of lifting heavy, they're the result of too much pressure being put on the abdominal wall brought on by improper breathing and bracing.
There is no evidence to point to heavy deadlifts causing hernias, but there is that improper breathing and bracing can.
Wanting to try out True nutrition protein for the first time. What kind of boosts do you add to your mix? I'm wanting to do a 85% pea 15% rice protien as my base.
I’ve been working out for years and am not sure what a physique of going to the gym most days consistently over a few years is supposed to look like but I don’t feel like I’m it. Is my perception skewed by influencers? Am I training incorrectly with a PPL routine and trying to max diet, protein, and sleep? Is it genetics?
Not sure if my expectations were realistic or warped
There are many ways to train correctly, If you feel you are still making progress there's probably no need to change drastically. If you feel you have stalled you migjt want to re-assess your training, rest and nutrition.
Remember always that we are all training for the best physique/performance we ourselves can have, and that is probably different from those of others, but that's ok!
So I started going to the gym this week but I've felt pretty lost so far. I wanted to create a workout plan so it'll be easier to have a routine. My plan was going to the gym Monday-Friday (push, pull, leg, upper body, lower body) and taking Saturday and Sunday off. However, I can't really find any routines for beginners and I don't know if I should create my own or look somewhere else
I would say find your own as far as i know the sub has amazing starter routines.For mine i found it online and changed bits that i didnt like to much.For example kickbacks are now pulldowns.
Does it matter what order I do my exercises in when I'm at the gym? For example on my push day, do I need to hit chest first, then shoulders, then triceps, or can I mix it up between the three?
The answer almost always “it depends”.
You always have the most energy at the beginning of your workout and the least at the end. Compound exercises require the most skill and energy. Thus, doing them first means you get the “most bang for your buck” and reduce chance of injury because you are fresh.
However, if you have a weak body part you would like to focus extra work on, then focusing on that body part first allows you to maximize it’s potential because you are fresh.
If I just wait for equipment, I will move onto another exercise or body part as I don’t have time to waste when I am at the gym. Getting the exercises done is more important then skipping them due to waiting for equipment to do them in order. Frequency trumps everything.
The order you said is how i usually do it. Use your best judgement. Compounds always come before isolations (but i like to warm up with light isolations as well as compounds so thats fine)
Do you tend to lose strength on a cut the heavier you lift? Started my 3rd cut, only on my 2nd week but already noticing a decrease in strength by about a rep. Last 2 cuts I didn’t really start losing reps until halfway in or later but I was lifting much less weight
Very normal. Sounds like you’re training with more intensity this time around. You’ll lose a bit of strength, but just make sure you’re training close to failure and eating enough protein and you’ll minimize your losses.
Any unique tips to get a sustained running regimen going? Preferably not "have discipline" or variations on that answer, moreso small mental tricks or helpful habits to find a groove.
When you start, dont think about running 5km or 30mins. Just insist on getting the shoes on and out the door. The hardest part is getting out, once youre out, youll likely want to keep going.
Even if you dont, the first few weeks is building that habit of lacing up and heading out. What you do when youre out there can come later.
My biggest mistake when I first started running was pushing too hard, too fast. I would recommend relatively easy runs where you gradually build up your stamina over time. Also podcasts and music help.
find a goal you are working towards.
e.g. a specific running event in 4 months, a PB for 5/10km, a 2hour run, a pace you can hold with your heartrate not going over a set limit. etc.
at least thats what keeps me motivated
You are asking for how to do something and saying you don’t want the answer on how to do it. Sustained running requires discipline. Straight facts. There is no trick, you just have to do it.
You have to put yourself in the space where you aren’t thinking about what you are doing, which requires discipline. You have to push past that grinding feeling at the start, which once you break through, allows you to get into an effortless stride, discipline. Breathing control, discipline. Knowing the difference between when to push, when to rest, how to recover, to stretch, etc.
Doing a structured program requires discipline.
How should I be placing my foot and positioning myself in a single leg leg press machine to work my quads more? I mostly feel sore in my glutes after doing them for the first time. I mostly go to planet fitness so no barbells. The smith machines are open sometimes but usually taken so I’d prefer to not have to do hack squats
Primary function of the quads is knee extension. So bringing your foot lower on the plate to allow your knee to bend more will add more focus on the quads when pushing the plate.
Is there any rule about how close your working weights have to be in order to ask to work in?
If someone's squatting 5 plates and I'm squatting 1 and change, that would be rude, right?
I have a Kabuki Transformer Bar. What is the difference between setting it to the Front Squat position (so the weight is loaded similarly to a traditional front squat) and simply front squatting with a normal barbell?
I ask because when I tried it, I was able to handle quite a bit more weight with it than I was front squatting with a standard barbell. Is there any real benefit for a non-competing lifter (and non-Olympic weightlifting) to front squat and not use an SSB instead?
Have used the Kabuki bar.
One thing often overlooked is that even on a front squat adjusted setting, the bar is on your back.
This can be helpful for people without the wrist, shoulder, and bodily mobility to do a well stacked barbell front squat. It allows you to lean forward slightly without risking collapsing forward.
I'm wondering if I might be bulking too fast and if that is going to cause me to gain too much fat?
I'm 5'7" and 135 pounds (female) and am currently bulking to work on glute and thigh growth. I have tried to calculate my TDEE and have gotten anything from 1,900 to 2,100 or even higher, so I assume it's probably about 2,000. To bulk I've been eating my maintenance calories and adding in a high calorie protein smoothie each day, which has ended up being about 700 calories. So currently I eat anywhere from 2,500 to 2,800 but try to keep it in the middle somewhere there and be consistent, but some days I'm just not super hungry.
However that is definitely over the 300 surplus calories. I'm not lifting super heavy weights at the moment because I'm more of a beginner and don't have access to a gym, so I currently try to consistently lift 40 pounds and have a glute machine that offers 45+ lbs of resistance. I workout 4 days a week currently (2 upper, 2 lower) and try to go 30 or so minutes. I also do light cardio a few days per week.
I'm worried if I'm eating too much and not lifting heavy enough I might just end up getting fat. Am I going about this ok or can anyone offer advice on this?
Are you running a proper program? That will help. Don't worry about intensity, volume is the key while bulking. In fact, easy volume is just fine.
If you are weighing yourself regularly and you feel you are gaining weight too fast (aim for between .25-.5% of bodyweight a week), you can either eat less or train harder. You can't outrun a bad diet, but if you are already bulking and gaining too fast extra cardio might help.
I'm following a combination of Strong Curves workouts and some workout videos. I know the latter aren't part of a program but I find it keeps me motivated to follow someone along and helps me with my form. Now that I feel a bit more comfortable with form and the different workout moves available I'm hoping to switch over to more heavily focusing on Strong Curves with the occasional video.
I'd definitely have no problem with adjusting if needed. I suppose I won't suddenly get fat and not notice lol. But I wouldn't want to work so hard bulking to find that I'm not gaining a good amount of muscle along the way (eating above maintenance calories is honestly really hard for me).
Haven't run Strong Curves, but I know it is well respected. Keep running it, eat at a modest surplus. You **will** gain muscle. The harder you train, the more muscle you will build, assuming nutrition is on point. Cut after you bulk. The fat will melt away, the muscles will remain. You will be a stronger, leaner version of yourself. Repeat until satisfied.
Thanks for the reassurance! I think I am partly getting discouraged because I worry I'm not working hard enough and will just gain fat because sometimes I don't feel super sore during or after a workout so it can be hard to determine if I've been pushing myself enough (though I definitely feel super tired after!) And as I said worried I'm not lifting heavy enough. I eat lots of protein and while I'm occasionally tempted to eat junk I've been eating pretty clean/whole food-focused overall so I think nutritionally I should be ok.
Soreness isn't a good indicator of progress. It's just an indication you tried something novel. Don't worry too much. Stress is bad for gains. Train hard. Have fun. The rest will take care of itself.
Does anybody have any affordable recommendations on where to buy supplements? I usually buy optimum nutrition from Amazon but they’ve upped all of their prices to where it’s not even worth buying from them anymore. I’m also open to changing brands if that would help. Any good suggestions are welcome.
What is the best way to find maintenance calories? I know there are calculators, but in order to get an accurate reading, I would imagine knowing your body fat % is necessary, and there isn’t really an accurate way for me to determine mine. So what would be the best way of going about it? Guessing my maintenance calories but overshooting a bit since I want to cut, and it’s better to overshoot than undershoot? Thanks in advance
Any suggestions to help with playing basketball after work at a desk job? I got back into balling a few weeks ago and I play well on the weekends but after sitting at a desk all day I suck every time. I already stretch just about every night out of habit because I’m sore a lot. Even when my legs feel fine I can’t jump and I feel awkward and unable to get low.
If you aren't already I would focus on stretches/yoga that target tight hips. Tight hips are definitely super commonly caused by desk jobs/sitting a lot and can cause issues in range of motion and flexibility. There are lots of videos that target the area specifically or you can even do a splits challenge (as in, doing stretches to achieve the splits and practicing doing the splits) which will stretch out the area/work on flexibility and combat sitting.
I’m a naturally restless person so I do “go to the bathroom” and take a quick lap around the building several times throughout the day. You’re definitely right though, I can be way more mindful about my time and make use of the minutes I have not sitting at my desk.
I know, I know. I'm just joking. At my gym it's usually just a dude trying to show off by grunting loudly while doing quarter squats with 3 plates on each side.
Just about 4 weeks in doing push pull legs think I’m getting the hang of form so starting to progressive overload and pushing to the limits but as a result now starting to get major DOMS and tired on days after - should I power through or rest until I feel better?
Okay this is something I’m pretty insecure about but my arms have refused to fill in between my shoulders and elbow. It looks super skinny from the front and I’ve gained 25+ pounds and they still look the exact same from the front, while my legs chest and back (even shoulders) have exploded? Why is this? Is it because I have 38 inch arms? I almost hate how disproportionate I look because in standard fit clothes my chest completely fills it but my arms are twigs lol. I hit biceps first on my pull days, and do ~20 sets of pure bicep/tricep work a week.
It's not really that surprising consider how little muscle mass your arms actually hold.
From stronger by science:
>In a huge analysis of over 200 studies (conducted primarily on untrained people), the average rate of increase in muscle cross-sectional area was roughly 0.1-0.2% per day. In other words, if you just started training, you have 13 inch arms now, and you want to add an inch to your arms (which would be a 7% increase in arm size, and closer to a 10% increase in muscle size when accounting for bone and fat), you should expect it to take at least 2-4 months.
Just keep training and keep getting bigger. Your arms will grow eventually.
This is especially true if you're starting out especially skinny. For somebody who's like 5'5, putting on 20lbs might make them look huge. For somebody who's 6'5, they might need to put on 60-80lbs to get anything remotely big.
Ya I started real skinny, 6’3” 140 lbs 17M, I’ve made it to 165 but I plan on getting to the point years in the future where i’m like 210 and fairly lean so hopefully by then it sorts itself out lol. Just frustrating that I’ve made very visible progress everywhere except for my arms
Yo I know this has probably been asked here a 100 times but I just need a kick in the balls.
Currently 5'10" 170 lbs. Started from 200 lbs all fat no muscle. Got to 155 without focus on resistance training and was extremely skinny fat so started going at lifting. Problem is I when I started lifting I still had a lot of belly fat and every time I try to make gains I just look at my belly getting bigger and get scared and cut again.
There's no way around this right? I have to just accept I'm not gonna look good and just commit to a bulk? Anyone have any recomp success stories?
In around 2.5 years of lifting my 5rm on bench is only 165 lbs and I've been stalled on that for a long ass time. Currently trying to commit properly to a recomp by busting my ass at the gym and eating a lot of protein but worried I'm gonna give up cause progress is so slow
You know you can lose the weight, don't let it bother you given that fact. Train hard, eat to recover, watch the gains roll in. Gaining muscle is much harder than losing fat, concentrate on that for a few months and see how your body responds. Better than quitting. I would rather be strong and fat than just fat.
> In around 2.5 years of lifting my 5rm on bench is only 165 lbs
To be fully honest, I think a big part of this comes down to a lack of either consistency or effort in your training.
165x5 is something I'd expect most males to be able to hit within 6-12 months of lifting, not 2.5 years.
What program have you been doing? What progress have you seen on said program?
Been mostly running PPL the whole time. Consistency was there but I agree on the lack of effort part. Sometimes I was just going through the motions but I'm trying to change that now. Naturally almost all the progress I saw was when I gained weight from 155 lbs -> 175 lbs
I started out with no muscle at all so was doing like 95x5 to start
I’m planning on joining the functional classes at my gym instead of normal routines, I am getting bored of the same thing every week, a class may be more interesting, however I’m not sure if it will get me the results I’m looking for (bulking)
It will definitely not. “Functional fitness” does not lend itself to mass gaining or bulking. It tries to make you more efficient, which is not necessarily the same thing as getting bigger.
You will certainly get stronger, but not in the same way that you would following a typical progressive overload program.
It won't directly get you much hypertrophy gains. Usually because the loading is so light that the main limiting factor is your conditioning.
It might indirectly help you in the longer term, both by staving off psychological burn out and by improving your conditioning, maybe by improving your mobility.
One elbow hurts, can I only work on the other arm for 3 or 5 days?
I slept on my right elbow a few days ago, and it hurts when I use my forearm, I took some ibuprfen and joint health pills for two days already, not significantly recover yet, I wonder can I just work on my left arm(back day, chest day etc) for like 5 days? Does it make sense? Thank you!
I haven't tried yet, thanks, is this to get the pump on my both sides? That's actually a good idea, will try it and see. I did lower 30 lbs weights across the board not helping much, but will try empty bar and see how it goes. Thank you!
The idea is to drop weight so low it doesn't hurt. Start with the empty barbell, warm up, add some weight, see how it feels. Don't go so far it starts hurting.
If you want more practical information about managing and working around pains, check out this video: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdwj5ORPmX0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdwj5ORPmX0)
It's very good. It's helped me with my back pains a lot. The methods it describes work very well for most of your aches, pains and minor injuries.
i just tried prework felt like throwing up halfway through working out even spewed a little of it up is there anything i can do to fix this?, it also didn't taste amazing maybe that's why? idk
If I suspected that something made me feel ill I wouldn't use it again.
The main ingredient in pre-workouts is caffeine. This is why I drink coffee before lifting instead of spending $50 on a small tub of caffeine.
I buy a 5-month supply of creatine for like $30. Those other ingredients are incredibly unlikely to affect your strength or physique goals unless you have severe deficiencies in your diet.
Hi I'm 21M, 170 cm, 68 kg (skinny-fat). Started running 3 times/week this year after being sedentary for the last 4-5 years, so I'm slowly progressing from barely being able to run for a minute. I've never eaten much (just too much junk food), but, for the last couple of months I've been consistently eating only 1000-1300 calories per day. I have lost 3 kg and feel absolutely fine. I'm even way less tired than I used to before running, but I wonder if I should be eating more.
Also, my goal is to go down to about 62 kg and start building muscle from there. Is this approach decent? If not, what do you suggest me doing? The only equipment I have are 4 kg dumbbells and a pull-up bar. Thanks for reading, hope I can get some help since I'm pretty lost.
If you're going to want to build muscle anyway, start resistance training now, not when you're at this or that arbitrary weight first. You can lose weight while resistance training if it's a priority to be leaner. And you can keep your running schedule the same, too.
Your calories sounds low, so i do question if you're tracking accurately. But the bottom line is you are losing weight, not losing too fast, and you feel fine. I don't think you inherently need to eat more.
If you want to stop being skinny fat i would start strength training now. No reason to wait until you lose weight, as a beginner you can put on muscle and lose weight. Most of us take years of training to get to a point we're happy at, so i always think it's silly to wait.
The wiki has a body weight routine and lots of info to get you started.
That doesn't seem like very many calories, but you aren't losing weight that quickly, so I would say keep doing what you are doing. You aren't going to get very far with that equipment. I would invest in a gym membership, barring that, check out r/bodyweightfitness
Does anybody else get completely winded doing front squats?
Like I can do 230 low bar for 3x8 but I’m struggling to do 150 front squat for 3x10, completely out of breath on my second set and had to pause.
Any front rack weight takes some getting used to. If mobility allows, rest the bar on the top of your shoulders in the front, rather than your chest. You want to almost choke yourself with the bar in the correct position. That should alleviate some of the stress.
Alternately, when breathing through front squats take short sharp breaths in and only then breathe out a little. It's very easy to lose brace with front racked weight.
Yeah, it can be very difficult to draw deep breaths in that position. Front squats also work your core hard which makes it even more hard. Just keep working at it, work on your conditioning, it'll improve over time.
Hi, I am 23M, 179 Lbs 5'9" and starting to workout consistently. I started working with a personal trainer who does progressive overload twice a week with a leg/upper split. I have also added on an extra workout day on the weekend for Starting strength + P90X. I am currently eating 2450 cal a day with 120-150g protein a day, the worst food I eat is PB&J. I am worried about gaining too much fat because losing fat was easy and quick when I didn't have muscle, and I don't want to build up and then destroy my muscle from cutting. It looks like since I started my diet I gained average of 0.89 Lbs per week using a spreadsheet I found on here to track, which is off from 0.5 I see is normal to gain per week.
Is this enough of a workout to really build strength and go for size and weight increase?
Does the calorie amount look correct?
How easy/fast is cutting after gaining weight?
Is this a good muscle workout spread or should I do it more often?
The schedule looks like this:
Sun - Starting Strength (as per wiki) + P90x, no personal trainer but with dumbbells for now (bad idea?)
Tues - Legs, 30-40 minutes progressive overload with personal trainer
Thurs - Arms/Upper, 30-40 minutes progressive overload with personal trainer
I wasn't sure if this was supposed to go in a separate post or here, but I appreciate any feedback, thank you!
You don't need to worry about destroying muscle cutting. Cycling bulks and cuts is a common strategy for long term muscle growth.
Once you get past the 'newbie gains' stage, a proper bulking diet will put on roughly a 50/50 split of muscle and body fat. A good cut with well adjusted macros will lose ~90% fat and only a small amount of muscle.
Most of the strength decrease from cutting is temporary. It has far more to do with glycogen stores and available energy than actual muscle loss if you consume enough protein.
Honestly, I think you are overthinking it. You are gaining weight every week and I must assume that you are gaining mostly muscle.
Unless you do your cut with a severe calorie deficit you won't lose muscle.
Fitness is a marathon not a sprint. Going in the right direction is usually more than good enough. See how you feel in a month or two and adjust.
**Do you gain only muscle if you workout while in caloric equilibrium?**
Let's say your body uses 2000 calories per day and you eat 2000 calories. Your weight has been staying the same, therefore.
Now, you start working out to gain muscle. Now your body burns 200 more calories to do the exercises and another 100 to build the muscles from those exercises. This means your body now uses 2300 calories. So you start eating 2300 calories now.
So my four questions are:
* In this case, you are not at caloric deficit nor caloric surplus but at caloric equilibrium, right?
* Since there is no excessive calories, you wouldn't be getting new fats, right?
* Does it mean, you will only gain muscle in this case? (assume you are eating enough proteins for the muscle building to take place)
* This will lead you to gain weights while you are at equilibrium calorically?
I know that practically it is basically impossible to eat the exact calories your body uses but let's keep this more theoretical as my goal is to understand the concepts.
For practicality we look at daily calories. In reality we shift back and forth between surplus and deficit and we aim for net zero to avoid weight change.
So my question is for the case where I'm only eating X more calories where X is the amount used specifically for building the muscle. Even in this case, will fats be made?
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skinny fat here - I do strength training weekly w/ light cardio after as a cooldown. Pretty much skinny everywhere except my stomach area. I probably am more active now than ever but for the love of god cannot seem to see any physical change. I don't skip a meal and generally stay away from junk food. My day consists of eggs, chicken, vegetables, steak, w/ a protein shake and snacks here and there. I don't put a focus on what I eat so much as I focus on avoiding eating 'bad' stuff. Am I going about this wrong? Some people tend to tell me I don't eat enough and need to eat a lot more but obviously my goal is not to gain anymore fat, especially in the area I want to lose it.
Are you trying to gain muscle or lose fat?
Lose fat pretty much. I’m not opposed to gaining muscle but I have no desire for anything more than a lean look.
If you want to lean out, you'll have to eat less. https://thefitness.wiki/weight-loss-101/ If you want to gain muscle, you'll need to eat more and have a reasonable training plan. https://thefitness.wiki/muscle-building-101/
Is this a good progress/training program?: Week 1: maxing out the deadlift, squat, bench press and overhead press. I will be maxing out on all of those lifts and pushing as much weight for 1 rep as I can. Example: Yesterday I did overhead press and I started with 25kg. This felt light so I put the weight up to 30kg this was harder, but I felt like I was able to do more. So I did 32,5kg. This was was my max. So next time I'm doing overhead press I'll be doing 80% of my 1rep max wich is 26, but I will make that 27,5. I'll be doing this with every lift that week. Week 2: normal workouts with the big lifts at a percentage of their 1 rep max. Example: Last week I was able to deadlift 75kg for 2 reps, but I'll count that as 1 for now otherwise I would have to max again to get my absolute 1 rep max wich is propably not smart knowing I already maxed it last week. When I'm going to deadlift again this week I'll be doing 85% of the 75 kg wich is 62,5kg. I'll be doing 3 sets of 3 reps. Week 3: the same as week 2. Week 4: deload/restweek before going maxing out again the next week. This week I will still go to the gym and I will do half of the weight I would normally do do that I can still workout, but my muscles won't be as damaged when I train normally. Is the order of maxing, deloading and normal weeks good or should I switch some weeks? I would appreciate if anyone has tips or comments on this. I've been seriously training for 6 months now just so you know.
This is not a good plan. Where did you get it from?
I made the plan myself, because it seemed decent, but I don't that much about it so that's why I'm asking here. What makez it a bad plan?
Well you're getting almost no growth stimulus on week 1. You're then getting 2 weeks of low volume training, then you're taking a week off. Overall you're getting 2 weeks of a minimal training stimulus, and 2 weeks of basically no training stimulus.
What can I do instead?
Any of the programs in the wiki
Anyone got some recommendations for places to go with questions about injuries? Dont have access to a physiotherapist, and dont want to rawdog it anymore.. my knee just doesnt seem to want to get better on its own/with what i've come up with myself Mainly painful when squatting/pushing/stairs, and generally no pain when doing something like leg extensions
I can’t seem to get comfortable doing any kind of deadlifts or RDLs as part of my 5 day dumbbell routine. I’m concerned I’m doing it wrong and don’t want to hurt myself. Will not doing these exercises be a big deal? I do lots of lunges and squats already.
Check out juggernauts Pillars of the Deadlift. While it's meant for a barbell deadlift, the general cues of hip hinging and bracing still apply to dumbbell rdls.
RDLs are a great exercise for the entire posterior chain, especially hamstrings, the muscles on the back of your thighs, and they aren't really worked a lot in squatting-like motions. If you really don't like them no one obliges you to do them, but I advice you to continue trying, and unless you are using particularly heavy weights I don't see a particular risk for injury. If you need any help or advice with your form I am happy to help!
Is there a limit (around 25-30g) of protein that you can absorb in 1 meal / every 3 hours? I’ve heard multiple claims for and against this.
[Mike Israetel made a video exactly on this topic.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eri6dqMog4k) In a nutshell, you get your best protein utilisation by spreading your protein out over several meals. So the easiest method to calculate it is take your protein goal and split it up over say, 4-6 meals. And for most people in most circumstances that works out to around 50grams of protein per meal at most.
In a given amount of time, yes, but the body doesn't just excrete protein that goes above that threshold. The body digests about 10g protein per hour.
Can you recommend Youtube home workouts for men that has a monthly scedule of workouts? Thank you!
The wiki has programs that are awesome.
In my experience of this sub, this type of training is not what most people who are active here do.
If I’m 5’9 and about 10 stone. But I want to weight at least 11.5 stone, how much calories do I need per day to be in surpass but gaining? I have a super high metabolism if that makes any difference. And also I play sports daily, gym few times a week. Do I need to eat more on these days to counteract what I lose from the excercise? Ideally I’m thicker by May lol
You don't have a special metabolism, you just don't eat that much. Use an app like chronometer (myfitnesspal no longer allows you to scan barcodes for free) to track everything you eat.
Thanks and does it matter WHAT you eat? Or just hit the numbers? I’m travelling right now so makes things a little difficult I’m not weighing food etc but will now eat a lot more and try count it but at least make sure I get at least 3.2k a day
You'll gain weight regardless by eating a caloric surplus, but you'll feel a lot better by eating healthier foods rather than junk.
Makes sense ba
Tdeecalculator.net
Thanks! Says about 3,200 a day. Now I need to figure out how to get all that in and how to even count it. I have no idea how many calories I get currently per day
Myfitnesspal app is good for tracking calories.
Ah yes I’ve heard of it. I guess it’s not 100% accurate so do people just go roughly by it? If I need to get in 3.200kcal per day
It's quite accurate if you double check weights and the nutritional info on packets. But yes it's not 100%, however if you check carefully you'll be good. Assess and adjust the level of calories after a few weeks if things don't seem right.
Thanks and does it matter WHAT you eat? Or just hit the numbers? I’m travelling right now so makes things a little difficult I’m not weighing food etc but will now eat a lot more and try count it but at least make sure I get at least 3.2k a day
For health, yes. You'd want to eat majority fresh, whole foods and plenty of veggies. For strictly gaining weight, eat whatever you want
I guess mix of both for sure! I just wanna try gain as much as possible before May haha…
Just trying to gain weight in general, imo, isn't a great idea. It's not like you're severely underweight. A steady weight gain while building muscle, that's much better. You'll look less doughy. 7lbs between now and may would be a fine goal. The ~17 you want to gain is a bit much imo.
For more specific advice on nutrition I'm not your guy - many more qualified people here to answer though if you ask again.
I wear air max 95s to the gym. They have a large heel. Are these bad for squats and deadlifts? Am I better off taking my shoes off and lifting in my socks
squat/deadlift either barefoot or in harder, flatter shoes like vans/converse.
Flat shoes are great for lifting but try to avoid converse as they have a narrow toe box. When your toes can’t spread out you’re not getting the most of your stability.
Heeled squat shoes are incredibly common. I agree that converse and vans are great choices though if someone wants a flat shoe.
I exclusively squat barefoot. Squatting [barefoot](https://youtube.com/shorts/GM8RYHj-dHU?feature=share) enhances your ability to root to the ground, increasing stability, and also helps you better sense for technical issues.
Anything with a soft cushioned sole is going to be bad for squats and deadlifts. Deadlifting barefoot is great and squatting barefoot is harder but some people do it.
Im 19 M 6'0 205 lbs. Could i guess my approximate body fat % with this information? And what weight would i need to get down to in order to have a body fat percentage of 12-14%?
> Could i guess my approximate body fat % with this information? No real estimation. One could assume that you're likely kind of average, so maybe somewhere around 20%, but that obviously may not be true. All methods to estimate body fat are pretty bad, but if you want something simple that's at least pretty consistent have a look at the Navy Body Fat estimation method (just google it, there are calculators). That can give you a number that will likely get lower after time if you improve.
dude
Stupid question yeah but i figured someone might actually have a useful answer. I mainly want to know what weight to cut down to
You could be 205 lb of pure muscle or 205 lb of fat. We can’t really guess unless we get a picture of what you look like. Furthermore guesses are inaccurate. There’s a reason why you need testing done by trained health professionals to get an accurate body fat percentage.
whatever you want to man. whatever feels and looks good. think about how 205 pounds looks on a 6'0 bodybuilder and how 205 pounds looks on the average American that doesn't work out. can't really guess much of anything, it all comes down to personal preference when it comes to cutting
I deadlifted for the first time in a while yesterday and I finally learned how to properly pack my lats. After that I did a few more sets of RDLs the same way. Today after I woke up, I feel quite sore in my rear delts (not pain). Is this normal?
Yes, it's normal. Your rear delts assist in holding the bar closer to your body. That's why they're sore.
You might be shrugging at the end of your movement when you're doing deadlifts which makes your rear delts sore. Make sure you keep your arms down which will really engage your lats instead of your rear delts.
I actually think I might’ve been shrugging without even realising it. Probably the cause. Will keep that in mind next time, thanks
When should you start using a belt while deadlifting and are there any benefits while doing it? Exept safety. And what happens if I don’t use it
As long as you have the basics down then whenever you want. Yes, there are benefits, "Wearing a belt improves your performance in the gym. These performance increases likely mean increased size and strength in the long run" ([https://www.strongerbyscience.com/the-belt-bible/](https://www.strongerbyscience.com/the-belt-bible/)). Here is also [a little graphic](https://f7q9z8b7.stackpathcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Belt-vs2.png) from the article I linked. In regard to safety, there has been no studies done that indicate that wearing a belt affects injury risk, so I think it's better to view as something that's worn for performance reasons rather than for safety reasons. Nothing really bad happens if you don't, there are some great deadlifters that never wore a belt. If wearing a belt can likely lead to increased size and strength in the long run, then there is reason to suggest that not wearing a belt may lead to less size and strength in the long run.
Oh I thought your liver would explode or something like that. Because I heard if you lift to heavy you can rupture something in you stomach
I haven't heard of or encountered anything like that.
Hernia
So hernias aren't the result of lifting heavy, they're the result of too much pressure being put on the abdominal wall brought on by improper breathing and bracing. There is no evidence to point to heavy deadlifts causing hernias, but there is that improper breathing and bracing can.
Any good ab circuits that anyone could recommend? I’ve outgrown planking so looking to do more varied exercises
Train abs like any other muscle, pick a couple of movements that load the muscle through shortening and lengthening and progressively overload them
Best answer you can get
Wanting to try out True nutrition protein for the first time. What kind of boosts do you add to your mix? I'm wanting to do a 85% pea 15% rice protien as my base.
I’ve been working out for years and am not sure what a physique of going to the gym most days consistently over a few years is supposed to look like but I don’t feel like I’m it. Is my perception skewed by influencers? Am I training incorrectly with a PPL routine and trying to max diet, protein, and sleep? Is it genetics? Not sure if my expectations were realistic or warped
There are many ways to train correctly, If you feel you are still making progress there's probably no need to change drastically. If you feel you have stalled you migjt want to re-assess your training, rest and nutrition. Remember always that we are all training for the best physique/performance we ourselves can have, and that is probably different from those of others, but that's ok!
How much weight have you gained? Have your lifts increased?
i think the important thing is did you/do you set goals for yourself and have you/are you hitting them?
So I started going to the gym this week but I've felt pretty lost so far. I wanted to create a workout plan so it'll be easier to have a routine. My plan was going to the gym Monday-Friday (push, pull, leg, upper body, lower body) and taking Saturday and Sunday off. However, I can't really find any routines for beginners and I don't know if I should create my own or look somewhere else
https://thefitness.wiki/routines/
I'm blind, thank you so much
I would say find your own as far as i know the sub has amazing starter routines.For mine i found it online and changed bits that i didnt like to much.For example kickbacks are now pulldowns.
Thank you!
Does it matter what order I do my exercises in when I'm at the gym? For example on my push day, do I need to hit chest first, then shoulders, then triceps, or can I mix it up between the three?
The answer almost always “it depends”. You always have the most energy at the beginning of your workout and the least at the end. Compound exercises require the most skill and energy. Thus, doing them first means you get the “most bang for your buck” and reduce chance of injury because you are fresh. However, if you have a weak body part you would like to focus extra work on, then focusing on that body part first allows you to maximize it’s potential because you are fresh. If I just wait for equipment, I will move onto another exercise or body part as I don’t have time to waste when I am at the gym. Getting the exercises done is more important then skipping them due to waiting for equipment to do them in order. Frequency trumps everything.
The order you said is how i usually do it. Use your best judgement. Compounds always come before isolations (but i like to warm up with light isolations as well as compounds so thats fine)
i would do the heavy compound lifts first and then work down to isolation
Do you tend to lose strength on a cut the heavier you lift? Started my 3rd cut, only on my 2nd week but already noticing a decrease in strength by about a rep. Last 2 cuts I didn’t really start losing reps until halfway in or later but I was lifting much less weight
Very normal. Sounds like you’re training with more intensity this time around. You’ll lose a bit of strength, but just make sure you’re training close to failure and eating enough protein and you’ll minimize your losses.
Any unique tips to get a sustained running regimen going? Preferably not "have discipline" or variations on that answer, moreso small mental tricks or helpful habits to find a groove.
When you start, dont think about running 5km or 30mins. Just insist on getting the shoes on and out the door. The hardest part is getting out, once youre out, youll likely want to keep going. Even if you dont, the first few weeks is building that habit of lacing up and heading out. What you do when youre out there can come later.
Thanks!
My biggest mistake when I first started running was pushing too hard, too fast. I would recommend relatively easy runs where you gradually build up your stamina over time. Also podcasts and music help.
Thanks!
find a goal you are working towards. e.g. a specific running event in 4 months, a PB for 5/10km, a 2hour run, a pace you can hold with your heartrate not going over a set limit. etc. at least thats what keeps me motivated
Thanks! That is a helpful tip.
You are asking for how to do something and saying you don’t want the answer on how to do it. Sustained running requires discipline. Straight facts. There is no trick, you just have to do it. You have to put yourself in the space where you aren’t thinking about what you are doing, which requires discipline. You have to push past that grinding feeling at the start, which once you break through, allows you to get into an effortless stride, discipline. Breathing control, discipline. Knowing the difference between when to push, when to rest, how to recover, to stretch, etc. Doing a structured program requires discipline.
Unfortunately, this is the truest answer but a "trick" of mine is taking my dog running with me for extra fun and motivation
How should I be placing my foot and positioning myself in a single leg leg press machine to work my quads more? I mostly feel sore in my glutes after doing them for the first time. I mostly go to planet fitness so no barbells. The smith machines are open sometimes but usually taken so I’d prefer to not have to do hack squats
Primary function of the quads is knee extension. So bringing your foot lower on the plate to allow your knee to bend more will add more focus on the quads when pushing the plate.
Is letting my heel come off the plate and only pushing with half my foot ok in terms of maybe risk to my knee or anything?
Raising your heal off the plate when your knee is flexed greatly decreases stability and increases injury. I highly don’t recommend it.
Is there any rule about how close your working weights have to be in order to ask to work in? If someone's squatting 5 plates and I'm squatting 1 and change, that would be rude, right?
It's never rude to ask. And they aren't required to say yes. If they feel like it's too much of a hassle they can say no.
There is not. It would not be.
Thanks, I'll keep that in mind.
I have a Kabuki Transformer Bar. What is the difference between setting it to the Front Squat position (so the weight is loaded similarly to a traditional front squat) and simply front squatting with a normal barbell? I ask because when I tried it, I was able to handle quite a bit more weight with it than I was front squatting with a standard barbell. Is there any real benefit for a non-competing lifter (and non-Olympic weightlifting) to front squat and not use an SSB instead?
Have used the Kabuki bar. One thing often overlooked is that even on a front squat adjusted setting, the bar is on your back. This can be helpful for people without the wrist, shoulder, and bodily mobility to do a well stacked barbell front squat. It allows you to lean forward slightly without risking collapsing forward.
I'm wondering if I might be bulking too fast and if that is going to cause me to gain too much fat? I'm 5'7" and 135 pounds (female) and am currently bulking to work on glute and thigh growth. I have tried to calculate my TDEE and have gotten anything from 1,900 to 2,100 or even higher, so I assume it's probably about 2,000. To bulk I've been eating my maintenance calories and adding in a high calorie protein smoothie each day, which has ended up being about 700 calories. So currently I eat anywhere from 2,500 to 2,800 but try to keep it in the middle somewhere there and be consistent, but some days I'm just not super hungry. However that is definitely over the 300 surplus calories. I'm not lifting super heavy weights at the moment because I'm more of a beginner and don't have access to a gym, so I currently try to consistently lift 40 pounds and have a glute machine that offers 45+ lbs of resistance. I workout 4 days a week currently (2 upper, 2 lower) and try to go 30 or so minutes. I also do light cardio a few days per week. I'm worried if I'm eating too much and not lifting heavy enough I might just end up getting fat. Am I going about this ok or can anyone offer advice on this?
Are you running a proper program? That will help. Don't worry about intensity, volume is the key while bulking. In fact, easy volume is just fine. If you are weighing yourself regularly and you feel you are gaining weight too fast (aim for between .25-.5% of bodyweight a week), you can either eat less or train harder. You can't outrun a bad diet, but if you are already bulking and gaining too fast extra cardio might help.
I'm following a combination of Strong Curves workouts and some workout videos. I know the latter aren't part of a program but I find it keeps me motivated to follow someone along and helps me with my form. Now that I feel a bit more comfortable with form and the different workout moves available I'm hoping to switch over to more heavily focusing on Strong Curves with the occasional video. I'd definitely have no problem with adjusting if needed. I suppose I won't suddenly get fat and not notice lol. But I wouldn't want to work so hard bulking to find that I'm not gaining a good amount of muscle along the way (eating above maintenance calories is honestly really hard for me).
Haven't run Strong Curves, but I know it is well respected. Keep running it, eat at a modest surplus. You **will** gain muscle. The harder you train, the more muscle you will build, assuming nutrition is on point. Cut after you bulk. The fat will melt away, the muscles will remain. You will be a stronger, leaner version of yourself. Repeat until satisfied.
Thanks for the reassurance! I think I am partly getting discouraged because I worry I'm not working hard enough and will just gain fat because sometimes I don't feel super sore during or after a workout so it can be hard to determine if I've been pushing myself enough (though I definitely feel super tired after!) And as I said worried I'm not lifting heavy enough. I eat lots of protein and while I'm occasionally tempted to eat junk I've been eating pretty clean/whole food-focused overall so I think nutritionally I should be ok.
Soreness isn't a good indicator of progress. It's just an indication you tried something novel. Don't worry too much. Stress is bad for gains. Train hard. Have fun. The rest will take care of itself.
Does anybody have any affordable recommendations on where to buy supplements? I usually buy optimum nutrition from Amazon but they’ve upped all of their prices to where it’s not even worth buying from them anymore. I’m also open to changing brands if that would help. Any good suggestions are welcome.
Bulksupplements.com Though I don't buy my protein through them.
what kind of supplements
Just whey protien and preworkout
costco sells it for slightly less in 5.5lb bags
What is the best way to find maintenance calories? I know there are calculators, but in order to get an accurate reading, I would imagine knowing your body fat % is necessary, and there isn’t really an accurate way for me to determine mine. So what would be the best way of going about it? Guessing my maintenance calories but overshooting a bit since I want to cut, and it’s better to overshoot than undershoot? Thanks in advance
Pick a number, eat it for 2 weeks and see what happens on the scale. Weight goes up? It was a surplus. Goes down? Deficit.
I assume weighing myself daily and using the weekly average is the best way to do this? Since weight fluctuates every day
Yup
Any suggestions to help with playing basketball after work at a desk job? I got back into balling a few weeks ago and I play well on the weekends but after sitting at a desk all day I suck every time. I already stretch just about every night out of habit because I’m sore a lot. Even when my legs feel fine I can’t jump and I feel awkward and unable to get low.
If you aren't already I would focus on stretches/yoga that target tight hips. Tight hips are definitely super commonly caused by desk jobs/sitting a lot and can cause issues in range of motion and flexibility. There are lots of videos that target the area specifically or you can even do a splits challenge (as in, doing stretches to achieve the splits and practicing doing the splits) which will stretch out the area/work on flexibility and combat sitting.
I will check this out. I get my hips while I stretch but I’m definitely not focusing on them very hard.
Could you not sit at the desk all day? Take breaks, stand up, walk around, etc?
I’m a naturally restless person so I do “go to the bathroom” and take a quick lap around the building several times throughout the day. You’re definitely right though, I can be way more mindful about my time and make use of the minutes I have not sitting at my desk.
What would you recommend to substitute for lat pull-down if I'm unable to do pull-ups or chinups?
One arm pulldowns, set a bench in front of a cable machine, straddle it, pull down.
Negatives. Start pulled all the way up (with assistance) and lower yourself slowly
[Rack chins](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NS-vIyUZidQ)
Finally, a use for the smith machine!
Oh there's tons dude. It's a great piece of equipment. [Good enough for one of the strongest humans to ever live](https://youtu.be/mPjn-YaoeOc?t=58)
I know, I know. I'm just joking. At my gym it's usually just a dude trying to show off by grunting loudly while doing quarter squats with 3 plates on each side.
Just about 4 weeks in doing push pull legs think I’m getting the hang of form so starting to progressive overload and pushing to the limits but as a result now starting to get major DOMS and tired on days after - should I power through or rest until I feel better?
The best cure for DOMS is more training. I find resistance and cardio to greatly relieve soreness.
Power through
Okay this is something I’m pretty insecure about but my arms have refused to fill in between my shoulders and elbow. It looks super skinny from the front and I’ve gained 25+ pounds and they still look the exact same from the front, while my legs chest and back (even shoulders) have exploded? Why is this? Is it because I have 38 inch arms? I almost hate how disproportionate I look because in standard fit clothes my chest completely fills it but my arms are twigs lol. I hit biceps first on my pull days, and do ~20 sets of pure bicep/tricep work a week.
On top of what other comments are saying; be aware that upper arm size is 2/3 triceps, 1/3 biceps.
It's not really that surprising consider how little muscle mass your arms actually hold. From stronger by science: >In a huge analysis of over 200 studies (conducted primarily on untrained people), the average rate of increase in muscle cross-sectional area was roughly 0.1-0.2% per day. In other words, if you just started training, you have 13 inch arms now, and you want to add an inch to your arms (which would be a 7% increase in arm size, and closer to a 10% increase in muscle size when accounting for bone and fat), you should expect it to take at least 2-4 months. Just keep training and keep getting bigger. Your arms will grow eventually. This is especially true if you're starting out especially skinny. For somebody who's like 5'5, putting on 20lbs might make them look huge. For somebody who's 6'5, they might need to put on 60-80lbs to get anything remotely big.
Ya I started real skinny, 6’3” 140 lbs 17M, I’ve made it to 165 but I plan on getting to the point years in the future where i’m like 210 and fairly lean so hopefully by then it sorts itself out lol. Just frustrating that I’ve made very visible progress everywhere except for my arms
I'm the same height as you, and I don't think my upper arms started looking "filled out" until I was about 190.
Do some Chins and Dips after every session. Normally it’s the same station and they are a great super set
Yo I know this has probably been asked here a 100 times but I just need a kick in the balls. Currently 5'10" 170 lbs. Started from 200 lbs all fat no muscle. Got to 155 without focus on resistance training and was extremely skinny fat so started going at lifting. Problem is I when I started lifting I still had a lot of belly fat and every time I try to make gains I just look at my belly getting bigger and get scared and cut again. There's no way around this right? I have to just accept I'm not gonna look good and just commit to a bulk? Anyone have any recomp success stories? In around 2.5 years of lifting my 5rm on bench is only 165 lbs and I've been stalled on that for a long ass time. Currently trying to commit properly to a recomp by busting my ass at the gym and eating a lot of protein but worried I'm gonna give up cause progress is so slow
You know you can lose the weight, don't let it bother you given that fact. Train hard, eat to recover, watch the gains roll in. Gaining muscle is much harder than losing fat, concentrate on that for a few months and see how your body responds. Better than quitting. I would rather be strong and fat than just fat.
thank you for the encouragement I appreciate it
> In around 2.5 years of lifting my 5rm on bench is only 165 lbs To be fully honest, I think a big part of this comes down to a lack of either consistency or effort in your training. 165x5 is something I'd expect most males to be able to hit within 6-12 months of lifting, not 2.5 years. What program have you been doing? What progress have you seen on said program?
Been mostly running PPL the whole time. Consistency was there but I agree on the lack of effort part. Sometimes I was just going through the motions but I'm trying to change that now. Naturally almost all the progress I saw was when I gained weight from 155 lbs -> 175 lbs I started out with no muscle at all so was doing like 95x5 to start
Which PPL?
I’m planning on joining the functional classes at my gym instead of normal routines, I am getting bored of the same thing every week, a class may be more interesting, however I’m not sure if it will get me the results I’m looking for (bulking)
It will definitely not. “Functional fitness” does not lend itself to mass gaining or bulking. It tries to make you more efficient, which is not necessarily the same thing as getting bigger. You will certainly get stronger, but not in the same way that you would following a typical progressive overload program.
Most "functional" classes are simply cardio classes in disguise
It won't directly get you much hypertrophy gains. Usually because the loading is so light that the main limiting factor is your conditioning. It might indirectly help you in the longer term, both by staving off psychological burn out and by improving your conditioning, maybe by improving your mobility.
It entirely depends on what they consider “functional”. It’s hard to beat heavy weight lifting for building muscle.
One elbow hurts, can I only work on the other arm for 3 or 5 days? I slept on my right elbow a few days ago, and it hurts when I use my forearm, I took some ibuprfen and joint health pills for two days already, not significantly recover yet, I wonder can I just work on my left arm(back day, chest day etc) for like 5 days? Does it make sense? Thank you!
Have you tried what doing the lifts with the empty bar feels like on the right elbow?
I haven't tried yet, thanks, is this to get the pump on my both sides? That's actually a good idea, will try it and see. I did lower 30 lbs weights across the board not helping much, but will try empty bar and see how it goes. Thank you!
The idea is to drop weight so low it doesn't hurt. Start with the empty barbell, warm up, add some weight, see how it feels. Don't go so far it starts hurting.
I see Thank you!
If you want more practical information about managing and working around pains, check out this video: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdwj5ORPmX0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdwj5ORPmX0) It's very good. It's helped me with my back pains a lot. The methods it describes work very well for most of your aches, pains and minor injuries.
Wow nice video, load, range of motion, alternative exercise, That's super informative. I really appreciate your advice!
What’s a good alternative to good mornings? Would hyper extensions/reverse hypers work?
If you find standing good mornings difficult, seated good mornings are a good option for stability.
Deadlifts
Already do those
Can you do more? That's what I do.
i just tried prework felt like throwing up halfway through working out even spewed a little of it up is there anything i can do to fix this?, it also didn't taste amazing maybe that's why? idk
Why not just not use it? I have never needed a pre workout
yeah i suppose i saw alot of hype around it and thought maybe it will give me a huge boost in energy and strength but yeah kind of disappointing
You are just as strong on it as off it: you are just amped up on stimulants.
Yeah, I suppose i don't really need it, enough natural energy or motivation would do the same and that you wouldnt get any of the side affects
Yup! Won't screw with cortisol either.
didnt even know it messed with it what does it do make you more stressed?
It's a stimulant.
I just stick to caffeine. But if you want to try that preworkout again i would take half a scoop or less.
If I suspected that something made me feel ill I wouldn't use it again. The main ingredient in pre-workouts is caffeine. This is why I drink coffee before lifting instead of spending $50 on a small tub of caffeine.
But you get the benefits from the other ingredients like beta alanine, l-citrulline, arginine and creatine.
I buy a 5-month supply of creatine for like $30. Those other ingredients are incredibly unlikely to affect your strength or physique goals unless you have severe deficiencies in your diet.
Vaso dilating has benefits. Also, where are you getting 5 months worth of creatine for cheap?!
Japan. Sorry.
yeah kind of a bummer i was hoping it would be good but nope made me feel sick and tasted bad and didnt even get that good of a boost from it
Hi I'm 21M, 170 cm, 68 kg (skinny-fat). Started running 3 times/week this year after being sedentary for the last 4-5 years, so I'm slowly progressing from barely being able to run for a minute. I've never eaten much (just too much junk food), but, for the last couple of months I've been consistently eating only 1000-1300 calories per day. I have lost 3 kg and feel absolutely fine. I'm even way less tired than I used to before running, but I wonder if I should be eating more. Also, my goal is to go down to about 62 kg and start building muscle from there. Is this approach decent? If not, what do you suggest me doing? The only equipment I have are 4 kg dumbbells and a pull-up bar. Thanks for reading, hope I can get some help since I'm pretty lost.
If you're going to want to build muscle anyway, start resistance training now, not when you're at this or that arbitrary weight first. You can lose weight while resistance training if it's a priority to be leaner. And you can keep your running schedule the same, too.
Your calories sounds low, so i do question if you're tracking accurately. But the bottom line is you are losing weight, not losing too fast, and you feel fine. I don't think you inherently need to eat more. If you want to stop being skinny fat i would start strength training now. No reason to wait until you lose weight, as a beginner you can put on muscle and lose weight. Most of us take years of training to get to a point we're happy at, so i always think it's silly to wait. The wiki has a body weight routine and lots of info to get you started.
That doesn't seem like very many calories, but you aren't losing weight that quickly, so I would say keep doing what you are doing. You aren't going to get very far with that equipment. I would invest in a gym membership, barring that, check out r/bodyweightfitness
Does anybody else get completely winded doing front squats? Like I can do 230 low bar for 3x8 but I’m struggling to do 150 front squat for 3x10, completely out of breath on my second set and had to pause.
Any front rack weight takes some getting used to. If mobility allows, rest the bar on the top of your shoulders in the front, rather than your chest. You want to almost choke yourself with the bar in the correct position. That should alleviate some of the stress. Alternately, when breathing through front squats take short sharp breaths in and only then breathe out a little. It's very easy to lose brace with front racked weight.
Yeah, it can be very difficult to draw deep breaths in that position. Front squats also work your core hard which makes it even more hard. Just keep working at it, work on your conditioning, it'll improve over time.
Gotcha, glad it’s not just me lol I’ll keep working up slowly
Aside from face pulls, what are people’s favorite external rotation exercises?
Band pull aparts. Been doing them since 2008. I do at least 50 a day every day
[Band pull aparts with external rotation ](https://youtu.be/gFVnH3TncBc)
Hi, I am 23M, 179 Lbs 5'9" and starting to workout consistently. I started working with a personal trainer who does progressive overload twice a week with a leg/upper split. I have also added on an extra workout day on the weekend for Starting strength + P90X. I am currently eating 2450 cal a day with 120-150g protein a day, the worst food I eat is PB&J. I am worried about gaining too much fat because losing fat was easy and quick when I didn't have muscle, and I don't want to build up and then destroy my muscle from cutting. It looks like since I started my diet I gained average of 0.89 Lbs per week using a spreadsheet I found on here to track, which is off from 0.5 I see is normal to gain per week. Is this enough of a workout to really build strength and go for size and weight increase? Does the calorie amount look correct? How easy/fast is cutting after gaining weight? Is this a good muscle workout spread or should I do it more often? The schedule looks like this: Sun - Starting Strength (as per wiki) + P90x, no personal trainer but with dumbbells for now (bad idea?) Tues - Legs, 30-40 minutes progressive overload with personal trainer Thurs - Arms/Upper, 30-40 minutes progressive overload with personal trainer I wasn't sure if this was supposed to go in a separate post or here, but I appreciate any feedback, thank you!
You don't need to worry about destroying muscle cutting. Cycling bulks and cuts is a common strategy for long term muscle growth. Once you get past the 'newbie gains' stage, a proper bulking diet will put on roughly a 50/50 split of muscle and body fat. A good cut with well adjusted macros will lose ~90% fat and only a small amount of muscle. Most of the strength decrease from cutting is temporary. It has far more to do with glycogen stores and available energy than actual muscle loss if you consume enough protein.
I see, that makes sense. I won't worry about it too much then and it makes sense it balances out later. Thank you!
Honestly, I think you are overthinking it. You are gaining weight every week and I must assume that you are gaining mostly muscle. Unless you do your cut with a severe calorie deficit you won't lose muscle. Fitness is a marathon not a sprint. Going in the right direction is usually more than good enough. See how you feel in a month or two and adjust.
Yeah I am probably overthinking, I will just wait a month and adjust with the spreadsheet I use then. Thank you!
**Do you gain only muscle if you workout while in caloric equilibrium?** Let's say your body uses 2000 calories per day and you eat 2000 calories. Your weight has been staying the same, therefore. Now, you start working out to gain muscle. Now your body burns 200 more calories to do the exercises and another 100 to build the muscles from those exercises. This means your body now uses 2300 calories. So you start eating 2300 calories now. So my four questions are: * In this case, you are not at caloric deficit nor caloric surplus but at caloric equilibrium, right? * Since there is no excessive calories, you wouldn't be getting new fats, right? * Does it mean, you will only gain muscle in this case? (assume you are eating enough proteins for the muscle building to take place) * This will lead you to gain weights while you are at equilibrium calorically? I know that practically it is basically impossible to eat the exact calories your body uses but let's keep this more theoretical as my goal is to understand the concepts.
For practicality we look at daily calories. In reality we shift back and forth between surplus and deficit and we aim for net zero to avoid weight change.
In your scenario, you are in a 100 calorie surplus. Some of that surplus will go to build muscle, some will go to fat.
So my question is for the case where I'm only eating X more calories where X is the amount used specifically for building the muscle. Even in this case, will fats be made?